Free AutoCAD software?

[RWB]

To help get a job I want I need to get to know this program a bit, I am curious if there are any free versions of AutoCAD which is appearently what the job I am going for uses.

Thanks guys.

[mcwc]

Well, if your job is going to use AutoCAD as its CAD software, it's best to learn the actual software they are using. A quick look at Autodesk found a free 30 day trial of AutoCAD 2006.
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/autoindex?siteID=123112&id=2470966&linkID=2475161

If you want a completely free CAD software, a quick search came out with this opensource project that maybe useful, QCad.
http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html

[csimon]

any copy of autocad(2004-2006) that you install will run for 30 days free! Without the authorization code that's all it does and that's how it's intended. If you know someone with a cd you should be able to just load it up w/o the auth code.

[RWB]

Thanks guys :)

[csimon]

what kind of drafting will you be doing?
don't forget there is also map, map3d, landcad, and landcad3d. I'm using map, landcad, and the raster package as well as a few others.

[RWB]

I don't know, are these CAD programs close enough to each other in functionality that knowing one is pretty close to knowing the others?

[csimon]

I don't know, are these CAD programs close enough to each other in functionality that knowing one is pretty close to knowing the others?basically yes.

Land Desktop and Map both use AutoCAD as their core. At a glance Map looks exactly like AutoCAD except that it has an extra pulldown menu ...a few extra commands is all which are tailored to map drafting.
Land Desktop is specific to land contours and things like that. If you do a lot of contouring and labeling of such then Land Desktop is the way to go.
The thing to remember is this. AutoCAD is the core generic drafting package overflowing with all sorts of helpful commands. Once you master this picking up the other two is a breeze. The other two packages are tailored to specific types of drafting but contain the same basic core. There isn't much more added to these two however they become totally essential when you specialize in either field of mapping or contouring. I think they both feature cogo but I don't remember right off hand.

There is a Civil package also. This may be more of what you need to get. I would imagine it is really. The same would apply to this package as well. The core being AutoCAD and the extras being specific to the discipline of civil drafting.

If you loaded either of the three specialized packages and picked up an AutoCAD tutorial you could complete the tutorial without a problem (more or less). The only thing is at the end you'd probably be left wondering what the extra menu(s) was for!

My advice ...if you don't already know AutoCAD and you are not profient at drafting then get Civil 2006 (the fastest) ...pick up a copy of "Stepping Into AutoCAD: A Step by Step Approach" by Terry Wholers. This book takes you through AutoCAD in it's entirety at it's simplest level. In other words you don't really have to be a draftsman to learn the software. Once you complete that book then you could go through another book if you feel you haven't become as proficient as want to become. "AutoCAD and It's Applications" by David A. Madsen & Terence M. Shumaker is a great book and you'd probably hang onto it as a reference as long as you use CAD. Once you are proficient then this book will more than likely be the desk reference you use. It is more detailed than the former book I mentioned. Along the way you'll discover a few other books that will make good desk references but anything else you might find necessary will be specialized toward something like LISP or 3D or rendering or something of that nature.

It's a lot of (simplified) material to absorb but I would highly recommend going through at least "Stepping ..." if you don't already know CAD ...it will make the transition to Civil or Map or Land Desktop so much quicker and easier.

Check into a nearby University and see if they don't offer a short course in introductory AutoCAD. Basically what they do is give a thorough run through (or tour if you will) of all of the commands. You won't be a proficient draftsman by the end of the course but you will have seen all of the capabilities of the program. That is a very important to know. Once you know what you can do with it all you need to do is look up that particular concept in a reference and you'll banging away. In a few short months you'll be digging into some of the most advanced features of the software and you'll be amazed at all of the capabilities.

[csimon]

what kind of drafting will you be doing?
don't forget there is also map, map3d, landcad, and landcad3d. I'm using map, landcad, and the raster package as well as a few others.

I mislabled some of that software. What I meant was Land Desktop and Land Desktop 3D not Landcadd. Landcadd was an old architectural landscaping software that atuodesk bought out. Most of which now appears in Land Destop I assume. It had an awesome 3D library full of trees and shrubs and ppl and vehicles and what not. It also featured cogo and contouring. The library was amazing but some of the lisp was buggy.

[RWB]

Thanks, I am going out to buy those books now. I got alot of work ahead of me, no more Battlefield2 for a while ;D

[Dexter]

Thanks, I am going out to buy those books now. I got alot of work ahead of me, no more Battlefield2 for a while ;D


LOL! Ahhh, the demands of a real life, huh?

Happy learning!

Dexter...

[csimon]

Thanks, I am going out to buy those books now. I got alot of work ahead of me, no more Battlefield2 for a while ;D
our engineers don't do any autocad at all ...they just double click the dwg file and the drawing pops up. I think some have managed to figure out the plot manager but generally that's it! ;D

[RWB]

I couldn't find any of the books, but instead I got the "AutoCAD 2005 and LT 2005 Bible". Along with Steven Hawkings Theory of Everything and A Brief History of Time which will be my side readings for a while :D

[Dexter]

May I recommend this book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/076790818X/qid=1120679398/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_ur_1/102-7801886-9576114?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) as well then....? I read it and it was awesome.

Dexter...

[RWB]

Thanks, now I have another book to buy :D Still have other books I haven't finished ;D